GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) — Gretna East High School senior Brady Heidemann has been interested in journalism for as long as he can remember.
"Just applying my own knowledge and writing and just putting my own words out there," said Heidemann.
He's also a first-time voter. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, over 40 million members of Gen Z are eligible to vote in 2024. Heidemann said in terms of being a journalist, it’s important to do research before making an informed decision. He said he gets most of his news from social media.
"It's important to see both sides of the picture, whether it’s a news article or a post on Twitter," he said.
Junior Madeline Petrick said she's currently working on a piece about first-time voters and said research and fact-checking played a huge role in her piece.
"I feel really fortunate that it is 2024 and I can write a story about the presidential election. It's just a fun year," she said.
Teacher Ranae Duncan, has been teaching journalism for over 10 years and said journalism is more important now than ever.
"Journalism is providing people with facts, so they can make decisions for their own lives," said Duncan.
For these students, it’s an opportunity to not only use their skills now but also in the future.
"It's so vital in our lives, and I think for me, it's my whole life because this is what I do all the time at school," said Petrick.
For Duncan's commitment to journalism and the classroom, she was also selected as a Battey Award Recipient.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
